ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Three women, three different ideas, have created one diverse boutique to satisfy any woman's beauty, decoration or coffee needs in the Kurdistan Region.

"We want to introduce things that are different to the Kurdish culture from many other cultures, especially the Gulf when it comes to beauty products," Hind Waleed told Rudaw English. "Many women aren't aware of these types of lotions or perfumes which are made from all natural products."

Waleed has a line of beauty products as well as her own coffee mixes. One partner Safi Glaiban is an artist from Baghdad. Their third partner, Zahra Zangana, who makes antique jewelry, is Kurdish from Turkey. All three women work under their new business name of Be Unique Boutique.

Their boutique opened a year ago and they focus mainly on selling their unique products at festivals, bazaars, restaurants, as well as through word-of-mouth marketing through friends who buy and enjoy their products.

"We just created our Facebook page about a month ago," Waleed explained.

She said they do aim to open their own store eventually, but for now all products are handmade at home.

Waleed, herself, imports most products from Saudi Arabia and makes a variety of beauty creams, using only natural products, along with handmade perfumes, hair serums, deodorants and other health care and beauty products.

Another special product that Waleed makes at home is Bakhoor, a traditional mix of incense burned in many Arab households that is believed to ward off evil spirits.

She also focuses on coffee as it is popular in the Arabian culture. Waleed has three types of coffees available, a mocha-hazelnut mix, a dark Arabian coffee mixed with a variety of herbs and a blonde coffee mix which also includes a variety of herbs and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves.

In addition to her own handmade coffee mixes, Waleed also decorates coffee pots and cups as well as plates which would make any brunch feel spectacular.

Another partner at Be Unique Boutique is Safi, who enjoys painting and drawing and also uses stones in some of her paintings. Although she is part of Be Unique Boutique, she also hopes to display her art at an exhibition one day.

Zangana focuses on making handmade antique jewelry from a variety of precious stones that come from all over the world.

"We try to use many cultures here," Waleed said of their boutique.

The antique jewelry is made from precious stones such as necklaces made from Russian Amber, sand stone or pearls from countries such as Africa, Turkey, Afghanistan, Egypt, and Yemen along with Iran, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.

"All women like accessories," Waleed said. "And every piece here has a story," she said of Zangana's antique jewelry.

Waleed, who is an electrical engineer with two young daughters in primary school, said she quit her full time job to focus more on her own business and launching Be Unique Boutique.

"We must work on ourselves all the time," Waleed said of women opening their own businesses. "We must believe in ourselves even if we face difficult times or difficult things, but we must recharge our positive energy to see the positive things in our life."

Photos by author